Haggisbash

Looking at the rear suspension of the 'vette I sometimes wonder whether it would have been possible to have mounted the rear swing arms with taper roller bearings the same way motorcycle swing arms are mounted? Then use CV joints instead of universals in the driveshafts to transmit the power. This would eliminate the camber change that is inbuilt into the standard setup?
Would this work? Not saying I would attempt such an adaption seeing at least it would be a body off project to enable the mountings be fitted to the chassis. I see the various multi link suspension systems that are on offer and they look cool but don't they add more weight?

69427

I see several problems there. First, you don't want the camber change eliminated (unless you're changing this to a quarter mile straightliner car). Corvettes are sportscars and you need the camber change to offset body lean during cornering, for traction. (A true swing arm setup would get rid of the toe change issue, though but it's still pointless as the car would still corner like **** if the camber curve was eliminated.) Also, because a Corvette doesn't lean into a corner like a bike does, there's going to be a helluva large twisting torque on the trailing arm bearings. They would need to be pretty beefy bearings.
That's the first few problem areas I see.

dmaxx3500

the rear half shafts are part of the rear link system,they hold the trailing arms parallel

theandies

69427

The system the OP is brainstorming about doesn't need the halfshafts for keeping the trailing arms parallel. The bearing system at the arm pivot keeps the trailing arms from changing the toe or camber settings. And with that, CV joints would be required, as the OP discussed using.

It's an interesting discussion, but the downside is that the car would only be tolerable in a straight line. In cornering the outside tire would go into positive camber angle, promoting oversteer.

The13Bats

So how do cars with rear cv's make do with it?

Metalhead140

Completely different suspension designs that don't rely on the half shaft for locating the wheel. Can easily install an upper link (to do the locating work currently done by the halfshaft) and then use cvs, but doesn't solve the inherent toe geometry issues. It does allow you to tune them though, by relocating the inner (or outer) pivots of the strut rod and the additional upper link that was added - this is a project on my to-do list.

The13Bats

Ty,
I posted that more being ironic most of my other cars have had cv rear irs....

ratflinger

There was a thread a while back, either here or in C3 Tech about this, I believe the project was actually finished successfully although some hoops were jumped through. Search here & C3 Tech & it will show up.




Update


Well there used to be, I saw hints where it had been boneyarded. Some people get pissy about different ideas.



See if TheSkunkWorks is still a member. IIRC he and another guy were in the middle of this & the other guy actually did it.

The13Bats

Ive Seen lots of (boring ) tantrum lectures here spurred on from someone not liking a persons different idea, another way to do something, out of box thinking for ones self...